Fitting for suspending a load from a wall



Sept. 26, 1967 E. T. LORENZ FITTING FOR SUSPENDING A LOAD FROM A WALL Filed Oct. 22, 1965 FIG.5Y

ERNEST THEODORE LORENZ INVENTOR.

United States Patent Ofifice 3,343,773 FITTING FOR SUSPENDING A LOAD FROM A WALL Ernest Theodore Lorenz, 23 Bounty St., Metuchen, NJ. 08840 Filed Oct. 22, 1965, Ser. No. 501,514 Claims. (Cl. 248-218) My present invention relates to a fitting adapted to engage a penetrable wall, e.g. of Wood, plaster or concrete, for the purpose of suspending picture frames, garments or other loads therefrom.

An object of this invention is to provide a fitting of the character set forth which will securely engage any penetrable wall structure, including those made of cellulosic or plastic compositions of little shear strength which do not normally sustain the weight of a moderately heavy object attached to it by conventional screws or nails.

Fasteners are known, eg for picture frames, which have a hook depending from a perforated shank through which a nail can be driven into a wall with a rearward and downward inclination so as to include an acute angle with the vector of the force exerted upon the fastener by the weight of the load. Although this acute angle insures that a component of the force will act in longitudinal direction of the nail so as to tend to drive the latter deeper into the wall, another component urges the point of the nail upwardly within the wall so as to exert a destructive torque upon the surrounding material.

It is, therefore, a more particular object of my invention to provide means in a fitting of this general type for counteracting the last-mentioned force component so that a point driven at a downward angle into a wall is stressed mainly longitudinally in a sense tending to drive it into the wall structure without the creation of objectionable moments under load.

To realize the aforestated objects, I provide, in accordance with this invention, a fitting having a substantially vertical base with a bottom portion positionable against a wall; the top of the base has one or more tips articulated to it for swinging movement about generally horizontal axes, these tips being provided with rearwardly and downwardly inclined points designed to penetrate into the wall. The base also carries an arm which is pivotally secured to it near its bottom portion so as to swing forwardly in a substantially vertical plane whereby a load can be suspended from an extremity of this arm; the arm is so linked with the articulated tip or tips, e.g. by flexible wiring, that the weight of this load in a forwardly projecting position urges the tips rearwardly with reference to the base, thereby tending to increase the downward inclination of their wall-penetrating points in a manner at least partly balancing the aforedescribed torque due to the weight of the load.

Advantageously, for an improved gripping of the engaged wall portion, one or more additional points may be provided on the bottom portion of the base so as to resist any upward or downward shift of the base along the wall in response to the resultant of the two counteracting moments.

In an embodiment preferred for its structural simplicity and compactness, the base is generally V-shaped and comprises a pair of upwardly diverging prongs whose free ends have the swingable tips hinged thereto; the linkage between the tips and the pivoted load arm is then formed by flexible elements, such as wires, passing within these prongs. The several points, or at least some of them, are conveniently formed by the ends of nails removably held in bores of the base and/ or tips, in the manner known per se from the aforedescribed conventional frame hang- 3,343,773 Patented Sept. 26, 1967 ers, in order that these points may be driven into the wall at different angles.

My invention will be described in greater detail with reference to the accompanying drawing in which:

FIG. 1 is a front-elevational view (parts broken away) of a fitting according to my invention;

FIG. 2 is a bottom view of the fitting shown in FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a side-elevational view, partly in section, of the same fitting in an unloaded condition;

FIG. 4 is a rear-elevational view of the fitting; and

FIG. 5 is a side-elevational view of the fitting in its loaded state and in engagement with a wall.

The fitting shown in the drawing comprises a generally V-shaped base 10 with a bottom portion 11 from which a pair of prongs 12 rise integrally to form the arms of the V. Each prong 12 has articulated to its upper end, by means of a hinge pin 13, a respective tip 14 formed with a bore 15 which is downwardly and rearwardly inclined with reference to a line perpendicular to the plane of the V, even when the tip 14 is swung into its most forward position (FIG. 3) of near alignment with its prong 12.

An upstanding arm 16 is centrally pivoted on base portion 11 by means of a pin 17 and has fastened to its rear surface, by a screw 18, a pair of spring wires 19 which pass around a stud 20 in base portion 11 and extend from there within the hollow prongs 12 to the tips 14 to which they are anchored by screws 21. The inherent resiliency of the wires 19 exerts upon them a contractile force which tends to hold the arm 16 upwardly retracted, as shown in FIG. 3, and which further tends to tilt the tips 14 rearwardly, i.e. into a position illustrated in dot-dash lines in FIG. 3, so that the tips include an obtuse angle of approximately with their respective prongs. These prongs have shoulders 22 serving as abutments to prevent the tips 14 from swinging much further toward the rear; they also limit their forward swing to the position shown in full lines in FIG. 3.

Arm 16 terminates in a hook-shaped extremity 23 facilitating the suspension of an object 24 (FIG. 5 therefrom when the fitting is attached to a wall 25. In order to fasten the fitting to the wall, the fitting is first laid substantially flat against the wall surface (i.e. in the full-line position of FIG. 3) whereupon nails 26 are driven into the wall through the bores 15 of the tips 14 and a pointed wire clip 27 is similarly driven through a pair of bores 28 on bottom portion 11 of base 10. Since the latter bores are substantially perpendicular to the plane of base 10, the extremities of clip 27 are not parallel to the nails 26 which in turn are also mutually inclined by reason of the divergence of the prongs 12.

After the fitting has thus been attached to the wall 25, the arm 16 is swung forwardly, i.e. clockwise as viewed in FIG. 5, into a nearly horizontal position which it reaches without the exertion of an appreciable tilting moment upon the tips 14, in view of the resiliency of the linkage 19. In this forwardly extended position of the arm, however, a further swinging thereof about its pivotal axis 20 (arrow A) tends to rock the tips 1-4 counterclockwise (arrow B), together with their nails 26 driven into the wall 25. The moment B opposes a clockwise torque (dotted arrow C) which comes into play when a downward force represented by dotted arrow D is exerted upon the fitting. Thus, the force of gravity G of an object 24, weighting down the hook 23 of arm 16, has the dual effect of giving rise to the vertical stress D, with its resultant torque C, and to the moment A, with its resultant counteracting torque B. It should be noted that the torque C is developed about a point P on the surface of wall 25 whereas the torque B is fulcrumed on a point Q where the base portion 11 contacts the wall.

If the moments B and C are exactly in balance, only a longitudinal force F acts upon the nail 26 in combination with a horizontal force H effective at the point Q and absorbed by the wall. In the absence of an exact balance, a small resultant vertical force may act upon the clip 27 but can be readily resisted by the wall 25 even if its material has only slight shear strength.

It will thus be apparent that, under certain conditions, the lower wall-penetrating points represented by the extremities of clip 27 can be dispensed with and that the upper points 26 will suflice to carry both the fitting and its load. Other modifications are, of course, also possible without departing from the spirit and scope of my invention as defined in the appended claims.

I claim:

1. A fitting engageable with a penetrable wall for the suspension of a load thereon, comprising a substantially vertical base with a bottom portion positionable against a wall; at least one tip articulated to the top of said base for swinging movement about a generally horizontal axis, said tip being provided with a rearwardly and downwardly inclined point adapted to penetrate into said wall; an arm pivotally secured to said base near its bottom portion for swinging movement in a substantially vertical plane, said arm having an extremity engagement by a load to be carried; and link means connecting said arm with said tip for urging the latter rearwardly with reference to said base in response to a weighting of said extremity in a forwardly projecting position of said arm, thereby tending to increase the downward inclination of said point and anchoring same more firmly to the wall.

2. A fitting engageable with a penetrable wall for the suspension of a load thereon, comprising a substantially vertical base with a bottom portion positionable against a wall; a pair of tips articulated to the top of said base at horizontally spaced-apart locations for swinging movement about generally horizontal axes, said tips being provided with rearwardly and downwardly inclined points adapted to penetrate into said wall; an arm pivotally secured to said base near its bottom portion for swinging movement in a substantially vertical plane, said arm having an extremity engageable by a load to be carried; and link means connecting said arm with said tips for urging the latter rearwardly with reference to said base in response to a weighting of said extremity in a forwardly projecting position of said arm, thereby tending to increase the downward inclination of said points and anchoring same more firmly to the wall.

3. A fitting engageable with a penetrable wall for the suspension of a load thereon, comprising a substantially vertical base with a bottom portion positionable against a wall and provided at its bottom with at least one lower point adapted to penetrate onto said wall; at least one tip articulated to the top of said base for swinging movement about a generally horizontal axis, said tip being provided with a rearwardly and downwardly inclined upper point adapted to penetrate into said wall; an arm pivotally secured to said base near its bottom portion for swinging movement in a substantially vertical plane, said arm having an extremity engageable by a load to be carried; and link means connecting said arm with said tip for urging the latter rearwardly with reference to said base in response to a weighting of said extremity in a forwardly projecting position of said arm, thereby tending to increase the downward inclination of said upper point and anchoring same more firmly to the wall by clamping the engaged wall portion between said upper and lower points.

4. A fitting engageable with a penetrable wall for the suspension of a load thereon, comprising a substantially vertical base with a bottom portion positionable against a wall and provided at its bottom with at least one lower point adapted to penetrate into said wall; a pair of tips articulated to the top of said base at horizontally spacedapart locations for swinging movement about generally horizontal axes, said tips being provided with rearwardly and downwardly inclined upper points adapted to penetrate into said wall; an arm pivotally secured to said base near its bottom portion for swinging movement in a substantially vertical plane, said arm having an extremity engageable by a load to be carried; and link means connecting said arm with said tips for urging the latter rearwardly with reference to said base in response to a weighting of said extremity in a forwardly projecting position of said arm, thereby tending to increase the downward inclination of said upper points and anchoring same more firmly to the wall by clamping the engaged wall portion between said upped and lower points.

5. A fitting as defined in claim 4 wherein said base is generally V-sha-ped and comprises a pair of upwardly diverging prongs, said tips forming hinged extensions of said prongs, said arm being centrally disposed between said prongs.

6. A fitting as defined in claim 5 wherein said link means comprises a pair of flexible elements extending within said prongs.

7. A fitting as defined in claim 6 wherein said elements are resiliently contractile for tending to swing said tips reagwardly and said arm upwardly in the absence of a loa 8. A fitting as defined in claim 6 wherein said prongs form abutments for limiting the rearward swing of said tips to an obtuse angle included between said tips and said prongs.

9. A fitting as defined in claim 4 wherein at least some of said points are ends of removable nails.

10. A fitting as defined in claim 9 wherein said base is provided near its bottom with two horizontally spaced bores, said lower points being ends of a wire clip having extremities removably inserted in said bores.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 508,540 11/1893 Gaisser 2482l8 519,964 5/ 1894 Neilen 2482l8 3,158,348 11/1964 Rutter 2482l6 X ROY D. FRAZIER, Primary Examiner.

F. DOMOTOR, Assistant Examiner, 

1. A FITTING ENGAGEABLE WITH A PENETRABLE WALL FOR THE SUSPENSION OF A LOAD THEREON, COMPRISING A SUBSTANTIALLY VERTICAL BASE WITH A BOTTOM PORTION POSITIONABLE AGAINST A WALL; AT LEAST ONE TIP ARTICULATED TO THE TOP OF SAID BASE FOR SWINGING MOVEMENT ABOUT A GENERALLY HORIZONTAL AXIS, SAID TIP BEING PROVIDED WITH A REARWARDLY AND DOWNWARDLY INCLINED POINT ADAPTED TO PENETRATE INTO SAID WALL; AN ARM PIVOTALLY SECURED TO SAID BASE NEAR ITS BOTTOM PORTION FOR SWINGING MOVEMENT IN A SUBSTANTIALLY VERTICAL PLANE, SAID ARM HAVING AN EXTREMITY ENGAGEMENT BY A LOAD TO BE CARRIED; AND LINK MEANS CONNECTING SAID ARM WITH SAID TIP FOR URGING THE LATTER REARWARDLY WITH REFERENCE TO SAID BASE IN RESPONSE TO A WEIGHTING OF SAID EXTREMITY IN A FORWARDLY PROJECTING POSITION OF SAID ARM, THEREBY TENDING TO INCREASE THE DOWNWARD INCLINATION OF SAID POINT AND ANCHORING SAME MORE FIRMLY TO THE WALL. 